A Divided Earth
by James631
Summary: J'onn discovers upon the last meeting with his friend of what the man's hopes and dreams are for the future of the human race.


Disclaimer: I do not own any of the DC characters or other characters that portray those of the Star Trek creator and his creation.

Claimer: This is my OC story.

Writer's Note to readers: This story was made to make no polticial statement or anything retaining to that nature. Merely a story to express my admiration for Gene Rodenberry and a solo act for J'onn. And of course to thicken the plot. That is all.

* * *

A Divided Earth

* * *

There was nothing like it, nothing he could find as a means to compare it to. The heavens; its wonders at night were the simple makings of a genius. The eye of the telescope granted him an even better spectrum view of the true beauty that uncharted frontier held.

Professor Rodan Berry could stare in admiration forever of it and would have on this night if not for the voice from the forming figure behind him.

"Professor?"

A smile escaped him. "J'onn, you made it."

"You spoke of a great urgency, my friend. What is it?"

Rodan pried himself away from the scope. "What? Can't read my mind?"

"I prefer Professor, to give everyone the privacy of their own thoughts unless I must."

His aged face beamed with delight. "Yours must have been a magnificent race."

J'onn hid the pain. "They were."

Rodan placed a gentle hand on the Martian's shoulder. Not wanting to make his friend's visit a painful track down memory lane, Rodan Berry blurted out, "I found a new star cluster."

J'onn's mind shifted instantly. "Really?"

"Yup. Hidden just beyond the far sight of Saturn," his hand presenting the telescope. "Take a look."

J'onn stared but a moment until a smile found its way on his face and moved to view this new discovery. His friend's truest of passions was the stars and J'onn indulged him every time he came to visit.

Rodan watched him with anticipation, truly he admired the Martian. A being of such fortitude who exceeded everything he expected from other planetary lifeforms. He smiled waiting for J'onn to speak, it was a discovery that brought great joy to himself.

With the joy, followed the pain in his chest that left the man breathless.

"Hmm....a grand discovery, professor."

Rodan's head turned lightheaded and began swimming all around the place. He turned hoping to hide the event from his friend, holding onto a nearby table for balance. His breath turned short and heavy.

"You...you sound like you have seen it before, J'onn."

J'onn continued looking through the lenses of the large telescope. "My people called it the Xia'par'na. It is only visible on Mars once every three Earth months. Celebrations were once held whenever it was visible. A sign of good luck."

"You don't say," Rodan chuckled. "Should have figured its been already discovered by your people. Earth is seeing it for the first time."

J'onn noted the difficulty in Rodan's voice. His orange eyes lifted and beamed at his friend.

Rodan pointed to the table disregarding his current state. "Look J'onn. There is something there on the table for you."

Rodan's stance was odd, but J'onn did as instructed. On the table he took in his hands a paper that struck the Martian by surprise.

"The J'onn Star Cluster?"

Rodan huffed with a smile. "Named and sent it instantly for approval after I discovery it, my friend. Hope you don't mind."

"Mind?" J'onn spoke with delight. "I am honored to have such a beauty of the skies named after me. But why not your name, professor? It is your discovery."

"Well," Rodan grunted, barely capable of remaining on his feet. "It seemed to be the appropriate thing to do."

"Professor?" his hands found their way on the man's shoulders.

"I think the J'onn Star Cluster would be remembered and treasured much longer than if I simply named it after myself. And....I think you deserve it more than I."

J'onn ignored Rodan's attempt to divert his attention. "How painful is the cancer?"

"Reading my mind now are we?"

"No. You left your medical reports right underneath the approval papers."

"Damn."

J'onn found the joy found his friend's discovery failing with the knowledge of his declining health.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Terminal, J'onn. I've known for some time now." His chest stung with such pain that J'onn could help but feel as well.

"Rest, professor," J'onn guided him down into a chair.

Rodan sighted in defeat. He found a smile when he looked back at the green man.

"I wish we were more like you, my friend."

"Like me?"

Rodan weakly reached for a remote and activated a dozen different TV screens designed for the monitoring the stars. Each one now displaying a different channel of television.

"War continuing in the middle east as US forces....."

"Kasnia's unity under the new democracy falls short this month as rebel forces..."

"The mudslide in the Philippines several months ago have devastated food supplies..."

"Eight people killed and their bodies found...."

"The madman of Gotham City the Joker, is at large today. His current whereabouts still unknown..."

Rodan could only bare so much until he flipped the screens off. His meaning was understood.

"You know, during the first full scale invasion that brought you into the eyes of the public, the world's governments were actually working together in order to defeat the aliens. Bitter rivals and enemies were working together, J'onn."

J'onn said nothing.

"We were working as a single race in order to survive," Rodan said then gave a scuff. "I guess only in the face of our own extinction will the human race ever work together like your people did."

"Professor..."

"We hate ourselves J'onn. I honestly thought I would live to see the day when we would set aside our differences and find our eyes looking towards the heavens. Yet we are still looking at what the other has in their pocket. Each day afterwards, we drifted apart again until we were right back where we started. As rivals."

"Professor let me-"

"We failed, J'onn. As a race we have failed."

J'onn could feel the defeat and devastation in his friend. Painful enough for he himself to fall into such dispair.

But....

"You don't give your race enough credit, professor."

His eyes turned to him. "Come again."

"You judge your race too harshly. You don't see the achievements your people have made in such a short amount of time."

"Humph! Your race was able to find harmony and work together in less than half the time it took us to get this far. We can't even stop fighting with ourselves to realize there is a whole new frontier waiting out there for us."

J'onn knelled down to be face to face with him. "Your race is much different from what mine was once. Your fragile and short lived forms give your people the need to make their mark in your planet's history. To be remembered far long after they are gone which has led to many tragic events in Earth's history. Mine had no such need as we lived long lives to see and remember many that came before us."

"Hmm..."

"And remember, Professor. My people had the ability to sense each others feelings while yours still is learning how to express and deal with their own. We had the advantage to feel each others pain and do everything we could to stop it."

"While we bury ours." Rodan found the wall most interesting to stare at. His friend could speak with such faith and hope of a people not his own. A faith that he himself had lost.

"Give your race time, Professor Berry," J'onn assured him with a friendly placed hand on his shoulder again. "I have seen into the hearts of many of your kind and see a great potential they all have."

"Really?" he whispered with a smile.

"In time, they will learn how to cope with themselves and of others."

A beeping noise caught the Martian's attention as he stood with the other hand placed at his ear.

"_J'onn, this is Mr. Terrific. We got a urgent call for help from someone. Its from Cadmus._"

The Martian's face turned grim.

"J'onn?"

He lowered his hand from his ear. "I am sorry, Professor Berry but I have to go."

"I figured as much." He smacked his lips. "You best be on your way then. There are a lot of people counting on you."

J'onn's eyes softened as Rodan's breathing became lighter.

"Professor, are you well enough to travel?" The answer of which the Martian already knew.

"Travel? Travel where?"

"To the Watchtower. There is something there I have to show you."

Rodan pointed upward. "You mean up there?"

"Yes."

Both smiled as Rodan stood on his feet.

"Mr. Terrific, ready two for pickup," J'onn ordered.

"Energize!" Rodan declared.

A humming was heard and a light surrounded them and within an instant, the two were gone from the observatory. Standing to his amazement, Rodan was standing on the deck of the Watchtower.

"Wow!" he said for the lack of better words to describe it.

"Come," J'onn lifted the old man up and flew him towards the windows.

Rodan's eyes were mesmerized at the sight. The Earth and all of its glory standing there before him in the vacuum of space. With it, came the stars, the beautiful and enchanting stars. A view far better than with what any telescope could offer him. It was all too much.

"Oh wow!"

"My gift to you, professor." J'onn stared out there with him. "Though it hardly measures up to what you have given me."

Rodan grinned and smacked his lips feeling the lightness of his body.

"You know, I think there is hope for us yet."

J'onn turned to him.

"Because of people like you, J'onn. People like you and Superman who do everything in your power to help us make it through one more day....

If we could all just see the Earth like this, then we all would know there is so much more out there. So much more that we can't waste time fighting amongst ourselves. Thank you for this, my friend."

"Your welcome."

"It is...." Rodan found himself dizzy, his eyesight failing him, body swaying to and fro. "It is the greatest gift I have ever been given."

He fell in J'onn's arms.

His voice was weak and raspy when he declared, "We will live long and prosperous lives one day, my friend. We will... one day..."

His eyes faded shut and the weary smile on his face fled and began his journey into the next frontier.

J'onn looked with a great pain as the lifeless body of his friend was in his arms. He took him to the medbay and laid Rodan on a medical bed with a sheet to cover over him. Rodan Berry was gone and J'onn lost a good friend.

He hung over the bed remembering all the things the man had shown him and taught J'onn about the human understanding of the stars. More than that, Rodan Berry was a person who worked for the betterment of mankind's future. Pushing for the day of inner morality and equality to which humans could work and be as one. It filled J'onn's heart with hope that his efforts to help this race would not be in vain.

He placed a caring hand on the covered forehead.

"Live long and prosper, professor."

* * *

The End

* * *

"I know what your doing, Gene. Your putting a moral story into a television show."

He looked at her with a smile and said, "shh!"


End file.
